The Boy and the Forest

Rewritten and planned by Babak Kardan

This is a teaching story. That is, it teaches us about life, and about Truth. It helps us understand who we really are, and how we can relate to our world. Many such stories exist in different cultures around the world. As you read the story, try to identify with the characters and what they go through. Think about how we can undergo a change in our understanding, and experience true transformation in our lives.

Once upon a time, there was a young boy who lived with his parents in a village next to a dark, thick forest. The boy would often hear stories from the villagers about ghosts and spirits who were living in the forest, and how they would harm the people traveling through the forest.

When the boy was old enough to go to school, he had to walk through the forest every morning to reach his school. But he was scared to travel through those woods, in case he would be attacked by the ghosts there.

“Don’t be afraid”, his older brother told him, “I will accompany you and I will protect you in case the ghosts attack us. Just make sure you do everything I tell you to.”

That made the boy feel better, and he would travel through the forest with his older brother. But after some time, his brother told him,

“I can’t accompany you any more through the forest. From today onward, you have to go on your journey alone.”

Once again, the boy felt scared to go alone into the forest. But morning had come, and he knew he had to set out alone. Just then, when he was trying to get his courage up to face the forest alone, he met a teacher who had just walked through the forest. The boy talked to this teacher, and mentioned his fear of the forest, the ghosts and all the stories he had heard about the dangers lurking in the forest.

The teacher was a wise old man. He had been through many forests alone, sometimes for long periods of time. He knew what was inside them, -- and what wasn’t. The teacher listened attentively and silently to the boy. Then he began to speak.

“Listen to me”, said the teacher, after some moments of silence. “There are no such things as ghosts. There are no ghosts living in these forests. I have lived in these forests for many years. These are just stories that have been made up. They are not real. There is no truth in them. These ideas about ghosts, they only exist in our mind, that’s all. There is nothing to be afraid of. There is nothing that can harm you. Just remove all such negative thoughts from your mind. Don’t let your mind trick you, or deceive you. Put this understanding firmly into your heart, and face the forest alone, with contentment and happiness.”

The boy listened attentively to the teacher’s words. The teacher’s words struck a chord deep inside him. Even though the boy had never met the teacher before, he felt that what the teacher was saying was true. The boy’s fear soon vanished, and the whole situation became clear to him. He felt new confidence growing in him, and his mind became calm and steady. With his strength renewed, and full of courage, he stepped into the forest alone, unafraid.

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Questions:

1. Who does the boy represent in this story? What does the dark forest, which he has to travel through represent, for each one of us?

2. The fear that the boy had, how did it come about, by his own understanding or from outside himself?

3. What could the elder brother represent in the story? Why do you think the brother could not accompany or help him after some time?

4. The teacher seems to appear at just the right time. What would have happened if he had appeared sooner or later than that?

5. Read again what the teacher says to the boy. Did the teacher give any new information to the boy? Did he talk about his personal ideas and opinions? Did he ask for anything from the boy?

6. Anyone could have given the same advice that the teacher gave to the boy. But for some reason the boy believed the teacher. Why do you think this happened?

7. Has this story helped you in your understanding of life? Explain how. What can you do so that you will always remember this new understanding, just like the boy does in the story?